Pupils at St Ann’s Primary School got a surprise visit from Helen Glover, MBE, who encouraged the youngsters to embrace a positive mindset and go after their goals.
Helen who competed in Rowing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, winning a silver medal, spoke to pupils at the Reading school about the importance of having a positive mindset. The youngsters learned about Helen’s Olympic journey, and how taking action and setting goals helped her to achieve her dreams.
NatWest, banking partner of Team GB, ran a prize draw offering six schools across England, Wales and Scotland the chance to win a visit from a Team GB athlete.
With more than 1,120 schools entering, St. Ann’s primary was one of the lucky winning schools. This initiative was part of the NW Thrive MoneySense programme which is a free programme for five to 18 year olds to help them reshape the way they think and learn about money, and help them build the skills, confidence and belief they need to own their future.
Helen Glover said: “It was great to meet the pupils at St Ann’s Catholic Primary School and talk to them about having a positive mindset. Doing things each day like breaking a goal down into small steps and celebrating those successes are easy things they can do to help them move forward towards their goals.”
Bridget Tobin, Headteacher at St Ann’s Catholic Primary School, said: “We were delighted to welcome Helen Glover to St Anne’s Catholic Primary school as part of the NatWest Thrive MoneySense program. The visit gave our pupils a fantastic chance to learn about setting goals, overcoming challenges, and staying focused on what matters most. Helen shared her personal story, showing our pupils how determination and resilience can help them achieve their dreams. The conversations about wellbeing and finding a balance between hard work and enjoying other activities were especially valuable, and we hope our pupils will take away lessons they can apply in all areas of their lives.”
Tim Ellerton, Commercial Director at Team GB, said: “Having the right mindset is a key part of any athlete’s preparation for an Olympic Games, so it’s brilliant to see them sharing what they’ve learned with children and young people. Through our partnership with NatWest, Team GB want to help empower these young people with the confidence they need to achieve whatever they set out to do.”
Marg Jobling, Group Chief Marketing Officer at NatWest, said: “Our Team GB athletes are amazing role models for young people. At NatWest, we’re committed to financial education and have been supporting young people for more than 30 years, helping them to build better financial know how and grow their confidence to work towards an independent future. I hope all the pupils enjoyed hearing from Helen and left feeling inspired to really go after their own goals.”
